Background
A large flexible packaging company needed to address air pollution and emission challenges in multiple plants located in the Midwest of the United States. This company specializes in the production of flexible packaging solutions, used on a wide range of end products.
To maintain a healthy work environment for employees and comply with emission regulations, the company sought the assistance of APC to develop an effective solution for managing emissions generated by their plastic extrusion and extrusion coating process lines. These lines produce emissions in the form of fine smoke particles at different points along the production process, particularly at the die exhaust.
Problem
The emission of fine smoke particles posed several challenges. If not properly managed, these emissions can create a smoke-filled, unhealthy atmosphere for workers in the plant. Even if captured and blown out of the stack with a fan, without any emission controls the contaminated air can cause visible emission (opacity) regulatory violations and leave messy deposits on the roof of the plant.
Conventional dust collectors are not suitable for these applications due to the waxy, oily nature and stickiness of the emitted particles. Filter media quickly becomes clogged, requiring frequent and costly replacement. Small electrostatic devices have also proven ineffective in these applications because of plugging issues associated with the waxy emissions and resulting extruder downtime.
Solution
Air Pollution Control (APC) Technologies offered a unique and well-proven solution with its Ultra High-Efficiency Filter (UHF®) unit. Installed and operating across the U.S. on dozens of extrusion lines and designed to accommodate this exact type of application — namely, applications involving liquid, sticky, and/or semi-solid fine smoke particles — the UHF® filter employs roll-form filter media that enters a filtration chamber, where both solid (and waxy, solid-behaving) fine particles, as well as the oily, liquid fraction of the fine smoke, are captured. It features automatic filter advancement, introducing fresh filter media into the filter chamber when the existing media becomes saturated. Having observed the successful utilization of APC’s UHF® filter units at another plant operating five such units, the company decided to implement this solution in its own facilities.
An initial installation phase began in 2021 with two UHF® filters – one on each of two production lines. Motivated by the positive results and performance outcomes, the company expanded its installations in early 2022, adding two more UHF® units. Later in the same year, they deployed an additional three UHF® units, bringing the total to seven units, each serving a separate extrusion line.
Results
The installation of APC’s UHF® filters proved to be a resounding success. All seven units are fully operational, effectively capturing and managing the emissions generated during the plastic extrusion and extrusion coating processes. As a result:
- The work environment for employees has significantly improved, with reduced exposure to smoky and unhealthy conditions.
- The risk of visible opacity violations has been mitigated, ensuring compliance with emission regulations.
- Unsightly deposits on the plant’s roof have been eliminated, allowing the roof life to extend to its full asset life.
- Extruder downtime, and maintenance costs associated with other technologies, are not a factor.
